Ripples
by mickelus
Summary: Max's powers go into overdrive after watching Chloe die over and over. When she regains control, she is further back than she had ever gone so far. Story begins in the middle of episode 2.


**A/N:** This is a Life is Strange fanfic (obviously). Spoilers up to the train scene in episode 2. From there it goes AU and before some smartass decides to point it out, yes, Max is definitely OOC, I just had this idea bugging me since I played episode 2. One other thing, for the purposes of this story, Arcadia Bay is going to be located where Tillamook, OR is in real life, it's location won't have a huge bearing on the story, its just so that I can add a bit more detail to the story.

 **Time Keeps On Slipping...Into The Past?**

Max Caulfield just couldn't handle what was happening, she had seen her childhood best friend die three times in the past two days, two of those times being in the last couple hours. The brunette teen stared helplessly at the blood and gore which remained of her friend, splattered across the train tracks. The girl held her hand up and concentrated harder than she ever had before. Time and space sped rapidly in reverse, obeying her will as she broke the laws of nature, bending time to her will. Just as Max was about ready to let time continue as it should, something snapped and she was no longer in control. Events of the last few days and weeks sped in reverse as she watched helplessly, she tried to regain control with all her strength, but in the end, the strain on her mind and body was too much and she passed out.

Max came to sometime earlier, laying in her bed, in her parent's house, in Seattle. She knew she was back in Seattle because she could smell the familiar scent of fish at Pike's market just a couple blocks away. The sever aching in her head caused her to slowly make her way out of bed, _Holy fuck!_ She thought, _If I'm back in Seattle, I must have rewound at least four months..._ Curious, she reached for her smartphone and noticed the blood covering her hands. Naturally, she then took stock of herself, noting that her mouth, jaw, neck, shirt, and pillow were all drenched in blood. _Damn! If that's all from me, then I'm lucky this trip didn't kill me. Alright Max, first, get cleaned up, then find out the exact date, and finally take a handful of Aspirin for that headache._

Once she finished taking care of herself, she checked the date on her phone, it told her that today was June 21, 2013. _Good, at least I don't have to deal with school._ Max's first thought was to call or text Chloe, but then she realized that she was still technically estranged from her former bff. _Great, now I have to think of what I'm going to say to her. Dammit! why did I have to rewind this far?_ In the end, Max settled for texting the now blue haired girl.

 _Hi Chloe,_

 _Before you say anything, yes I realize how long it's been. I know I've been a shitty friend for not even calling once. Anyway, I want to make it up to you (if I even can). I'm transferring to Blackwell Academy for my senior year. I still consider you my friend and I hope that I haven't fucked that up beyond repair. I'm going to be visiting Arcadia Bay this weekend and was hoping we could get together for coffee or something. I realize that apologies via text are kinda hollow and I would like to do so in person. text me back if you want to see me...if not, I understand. Yes i also realize I'm still a big dork._

 _Max_

Max was not expecting an immediate reply, so she was not surprised when one did not come until an hour before she left Seattle for her tour of Blackwell. The message simply said, _Dinner, Two Whales 5:30, ur paying._ It was a short message and was clearly full of hurt and anger, but still, it gave Max a bit of hope. The teen went out to the garage and donned her gear before stepping over to her motorcycle, one of the first things she had done after rewinding was tell her parents she had changed her mind about not wanting a car, it had obviously taken a lot of persuasion for them to let her get a motorcycle, but after only two do-overs, they were signing the papers at the nearest Kawasaki dealership.

Max smiled as she swung her leg over her Kawasaki Ninja 650, it was definitely not hipster of her to be riding this bike, but no fucks were given. Sure, she still loved her old-school polaroid camera and would never part with it willingly, but sometimes you just needed to do something that would surprise people. So Max strapped on her helmet, put on her Ray Bans, closed the face shield on her helmet, and set off on the nearly 250 mile ride to Arcadia Bay.

MCMCMCMC

By the time Max pulled into the Blackwell Academy parking lot, she was very much glad that she had opted to leave as early as she had and avoided any real traffic. She let down the kickstand and dismounted her bike, removing her helmet to let her hair free. Making her way across campus, camera out and ready, Max paid closer attention to the students around her, most of the stuff that had made her brief time at Blackwell seem strange had not happened yet, save for the disappearance of Rachel Amber, she realized that the former Blackwell student had already gone missing and was reminded of that when she saw a certain blue-haired punk chick posting missing person fliers on the bulletin board out in front of the school. Not one to miss a photo-op, Max raised her camera and snapped a picture, the brunette was very happy with the angle, the lighting, and the subject of the photo. She decided not to reveal herself to Chloe until their scheduled meeting, she did not want to risk angering the other girl by making her think she was being stalked or something, but then again, that might be Max's own paranoia showing itself...

For the next couple hours, Max just went through the motions of following along on the guided campus tour, seeing as she remembered everything from the last time she had lived through this experience. The young woman paid extra attention to Kate Marsh, promising herself to be a good friend to the Christian girl and try to protect her from whatever had happened at the Vortex Club party. She even tried to start off on better footing with Victoria Chase...suffice it to say that some things are not meant to change so easily.

CPCPCPCP

Max spent the rest of the day getting herself reacquainted with the town she had grown up in. First she visited several of the "secret hideouts" she and Chloe had played in, just to see if they were still there. Then took a walk through town, feeling a sense of nostalgia mixed with sadness at seeing that so many of the businesses she remembered were now closed. As evening approached, she made her way back to the Two Whales Diner where she had parked her motorcycle.

When she stepped through the door, she immediately saw Joyce, Chloe's mom, wiping down the counter. Joyce saw Max and froze before greeting the young woman in front of her with a familiar warm smile, "Well, I'll be damned if little Max Caulfield didn't just walk in...then again, I guess you aren't really so little anymore." Said the older woman as she stepped out from behind the counter to hug the girl who was like a second daughter to her.

"Hi, Joyce, it's good to see you too." Max said, returning the hug, "I'm transferring to Blackwell and I came down to see Chloe...yes I know I haven't been a good friend, do you know how pissed she is at me?"

"Don't blame yourself alone, Max, she could have called you at any time too, as far as your question, I don't think she has it in her to be truly mad at you, especially with the effort she has put in to find her "missing" friend. Why don't you find a seat and I'll get you started while you wait for Chloe."

Max nodded in response and slid into a booth near the old jukebox, relaxing against the vinyl covered seat in a building she used to know so well. 5:30 came and still Chloe had not shown up, Max finally caved into her hunger and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake an hour later. She sat and waited as long as she could, until she finally sighed in defeat while looking at the time display on her phone, "Well, Max, it doesn't look like she's coming and it's already well past 8:00, when you told mom and dad you would head home. Guess it's time to cut your losses and leave." The young woman muttered to herself.

Max paid her check and shuffled out to the parking lot, feeling sad, but not surprised that Chloe had stood her up. She hopped on her bike and rode off, turning the corner just as a rusted up, junker of a pick up pulled into the diner's lot.

"Shit, shit!" Chloe muttered as she stepped into the restaurant, glancing around the interior, but seeing no sign of her childhood friend. "Mom! Is Max still hear?" She called out loudly.

"No, Chloe, she isn't." Replied Joyce from the back of the kitchen, sounding more than a little iritated at her daughter. "Christ, she waited for you for two and a half hours!"

"I know, I didn't mean to miss our meeting, but my truck conveniently blew a tire and I couldn't find all the pieces to the fucking jack...on top of that I just happened to be in a dead-zone! What a weird fucking day, guess I should text her and apologize for having stood her up."

"You should," Her mom agreed, easing up on her daughter after hearing her explanation, "Wait a few hours though and give her time to get back to Seattle."

"Oh, she drove herself? I figured her parents woulda brought her down."

"Yeah, she left just a minute before you pulled up on some shiny blue motorbike."

Chloe blinked several times as she processed what she had heard, "Wait, could you repeat that mom? I thought I just heard you say that Max rode off on a motorcycle."

"No, you heard right. Surprised the Hell outta me too."

"Let me guess, it was actually a moped and you're just exaggerating right?" Chloe asked, disbelieving.

"Uh-uh, it was one those...crotch rockets, I think that's the term anyway." Joyce answered, shaking her head.

"Shit, I guess she's changed a bit over the past few years." Chloe muttered.

MCMCMCMC

A few hours later, Max felt her phone buzz in her pocket while she was filling the gas tank of her motorcycle. She took the device out and saw a text from Chloe.

 _Sorry I left you hanging at the diner. Had some car trouble and no reception._

 _I know it sounds like lame excuses, but that's really what happened._

 _Guess we'll just have to reschedule?_

Max grinned and shook her head as she typed out her reply.

 _It's okay, I'm not upset with you. Rescheduling sounds like a great idea._

 _I would've waited a bit longer, but I promised my parents that I would be back by a certain time._

As Max hung the nozzle back in it's cradle on the gas pump, she got another text from Chloe.

 _Cool, let me know the next time you're in town._


End file.
